Getting Around the Program

The Picasa2 program window is composed of several sections (Figure 21.2). The main components of the program include:

• Menus: At the top of the program window, access commands for most program functions from the Menu items. The Menu features are summarized in Table 21.1.

  Table 21.1: Summary of Picasa2 Menu Contents
  Open table as spreadsheet

  Menu label	Included features
  File	Open, find, and save elements used in the program, including files, folders, and albums; export content using print, e-mail, and online features
  Edit	Find commands for common actions, such as Cut, Copy, and Paste; includes commands for using effects and making selections
  View	Show the image content in several ways, including thumbnails, Timeline, slideshow, or keywords
  Folder	Specify how the images are seen, such as thumbnail sizes; specify how the thumbnails are displayed, such as black and white, or indexed color; choose a caption type for the images
  Picture	Select images or folders and choose commands for batch editing, such as renaming and adjusting contrast or color
  Create	Choose a product type to create from a group of images, such as a collage or a screensaver
  Tools	Choose program preferences, manage and configure program features
  Help	Access online Help for Picasa2, program support, and user forums

• Task buttons: Instead of using program commands for common features, click a Task button. Select from Import, Slideshow, Timeline, and Gift CD options.

• Library: The Library houses the structures of folders and albums that make up your collection. By default, there are two Albums named Screensaver and Starred Photos. The rest of your images are stored in a sequence of named folders, or collections, either a folder you create and name to hold the images, or in folders sorted by the date the picture was taken and placed in groups of folders separated by year.

• Lightbox: The contents of the folder selected in the left column of the Library are shown in the Lightbox in the right column of the Library.

• Photo Tray: A selected image or folder is shown in the Photo Tray at the bottom of the program window along with a number of commands and output types that can be applied to the image or folder of images.

• Scroll Bars: Use the arrows to move the Library and Lightbox content up and down. In the Lightbox panel, click the uppermost scrollbar arrow to move up one folder at a time; click the lowermost scrollbar arrow to move down one folder at a time.

  
  Figure 21.2: The Picasa2 interface is organized into a number of functional areas.